Africa’s Most Expensive Local Players: Find Out Who Commands Millions in Transfer Fees

Players based on the continent going into the European leagues do not command huge fees in transfers. However, there are some whose price tags garner them respect even before they’ve explored Europe.

Ducor Sports dives into the African football information shelves to get you these names plying their trade in the most lucrative of leagues in Africa.

EGYPT

RAMADAN SOBHI: Headlining our list is erstwhile Stoke City flying winger Ramadan Sohi. Acquired for no less than £5m in the summer of 2016 by The Potters from Al Ahly, the 22-year-old remains with the Red Devils of Cairo after being shipped there to rake up playing time.

It’s interesting but not strange to note that a Huddersfield Town FC’s reject is Africa’s most expensive home-based player valued in excess of £6.30m in the transfer market. The Egyptian international’s agent Nader Shawky argues his client is not an outcast and opted to rejoin boyhood club Al Ahly on loan at his own volition, insisting he will be returning to England at the conclusion of his short stint in Cairo if Huddersfield survive the English Premier League drop.

Sponsorship and poor tv coverage factor enormously in the valuations of African players and hence the difference with their counterparts in Europe where publicity is the sport’s key drive and TV right proceeds are shared amongst clubs.

Sohi’s current price will sap if The Terriers are relegated, something that is highly likely.

WALID AZARO: He nearly fetched Al Ahly $10m dollars last campaign when a desperate Chinese Super League outfit came clamoring for his services. The Moroccan striker, who broke the record for the best foreign goal scorer in Cairo on the road to claiming the Egyptian Premier League’s golden boot, had looked set on moving to Asia last January before the African giants rejected the proposal in the final stages.

The five-time African champions viewed the player’s suitors constant haggling even after a deal was brokered as something of an invective to their personage and thought it best to pull off the plug.

His price tag has decreased to £2.52m. Ahly are not worried by this, convinced that the fees will come hiking even more than the US$10m they shunned considering that the Africa Cup of Nations is around the corner and Walid readies to field for Morocco. Our research discovered that the four most valuable home-based players are under Al Ahly’s books including Hussein El-Shahat and Nigeria’s Junior Ajayi who share a similar tag at £1.62m.

It’s not surprising that the majority of Africa’s valuable players are in the north of of the continent, especially Egypt, whose league is termed the richest in Africa at €160.95m, almost a similar valuation with Ecuador’s Liga Pro Serie A which has 12.9 percent foreign players.

Zamalek’s Khalid Butaib around £1.55m, Kharaba at £1.80m, Abdallah Said in the region of £1.98m and £1.78m Omar Khrbin all hit the million plus mark as well as Ghana’s John Antwi at £1.8m.

SOUTH AFRICA

In the south, Kaizer Chiefs’ Zimbabwe international Khama Billiat is the Most Valuable Player in the transfer market with a price tag of approximately £1.80m.

The name Andile Jali rings a bell too. Jali has been in the South Africa Premier Soccer League the last decade beginning with his time at second tier outfit, the University of Pretoria.

Turning out a record eight times for title winners Mamelodi Sundowns, Jali is a stand out in the Rainbow Nation’s Absa Premiership, nabbing in his trophy cabinet a combined five gongs. The South African top tier is ranked the continent’s third best behind Morocco in terms of monetary value at €140.98m but certainly not in competition.

In Jali, they possess a player with venom priced at £1.17m. Returning to the Absa division this term after five years spent at Belgium’s first division side KV Oostende, clubs willing to buy out the attacking midfielder’s three-year Sundowns contract must at least cough up above £1.17m. His age may force The Brazilians to beat down their asking price in the event he agitates for departure and a solid bidder comes hovering.

Anele Ngcongca occupies the third slot with £1.13m price tag, jointly rated Thapelo Moena and Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeeper Itemeleng Khune at £1.8m. This represents a sharp drop from the £3.15m Moena courted while at KRC Genk.

MOROCCO

Up to four players are considered worth a million plus each, namely: Badr Benoun at £1.35m, Mousshine Lajour in excess of £1.13 with Abdelilah Hafidi the most expensive at £1.49m. The trio are all from Raja Club Athletic Casablanca.

Arch rivals Wydad Casablanca have only Mohammed Nahiri as the star commanding over a million in valuation with his price set at £1.13m.

TUNISIA

According to our research, Tunisia, like Morocco, have only two clubs whose stars are priced above the million mark –African champions Esperance and Etoile du Sahel. The gap between these two and the rest of the clubs in the division is notable.

Defensive midfielder Mohamed Ben Amine Amor rated £1.35m by Etoile du Sahel is the star attraction of the Tunisian championship followed by Esperance pair Anice Badr at £1.26m with striker Taha Yassine Khlenessis at £1.17m.

Interestingly, not a single player is considered worth a million or reach the million euros or dollar mark in the Algerian, Angolan or DR Congo leagues.